Grand chiefs demand Manitoba children's advocate resign

Manitoba's grand chiefs are ramping up pressure to get the province's children's advocate to resign.

Theyissued a joint release on Wednesday expressing disappointmentthat Darlene MacDonald chose to publicly question the Phoenix Sinclair inquiry.

"Her office declined the opportunity to seek standing at the Inquiry and now after all this time is criticizing the process and its expense," saidDerek Nepinak with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC).

And David Harper,grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), an organization representing most First Nations in the province's north, saidpeople strongly support the inquiry into the death of the five-year-old girl from Fisher River First Nation.

"As families and communities, we must take every step to make sure that we understand what went wrong leading up to the tragic death of the late Phoenix Sinclair," he said.

"The inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair is an important step towards creating social justice in child welfare."

In an article published late last week in the Winnipeg Free Press, MacDonald said she personally feels money spent on the inquiry, now estimated at $4.7 million, could be better used elsewhere in Manitoba's child welfare system.

Being critical of the process and its expense shows that MacDonald doesn't understand she was appointed to advocate for children and not for Child and Family Services social workers or their union, stated the chiefs' release.

Grand Chief Morris Swan Shannacappo of the Southern Chiefs Organization(SCO)ignited the call for MacDonald's resignationduring a press conference with Manitoba Liberal leader Jon Gerrard this week.

Gerrard then rose in the Manitoba legislature on Mondayto call onFamily Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard to seek the resignation of MacDonald.

Howard defended MacDonald's right to her comments and declined to seek her resignation.

The grand chiefs of the AMC,MKO and the SCO are jointly seeking an immediate meeting with Premier Greg Selinger to discuss the inquiry andtheir demand for MacDonalds resignation.